On the roof of our apartment building, Aurora, Minnesota - 1962

During the recording of "ONE" - 1990

John, Midori & Aria's visit to Japan Nov. 10-21, 1999

Midori, Aria and I traveled to Japan so Aria could meet her Granfather and Uncle for the first time.

While there, one of my projects was to gather footage for a trio of music videos I would be producing over the next year for my album Night in the Vapor Jungle. This never did come to fruition as too much life tended to get in the way.

It was my second time in Japan, and most of that time was spent in Osaka and Nagasaki. The country continues to fascinate me. It is a hybrid of first, second, and third worlds, integrating the highest technologies into the most basic forms of religion, lifestyle and commerce. While there I never had a bad cup of coffee - never - and I had countless cups. In America if I can find one good cup a week I count that day blessed. Oh, by the way, I turned 50 while in Nagasaki.

The question that kept popping up in my mind at nearly every turn was - how does this place even function? It is a remarkable example of order and chaos existing in a seemingly perfect symbiotic relationship.

The country hums with an energy that can leave you breathless. There isn't anything that you can't get, add to that thousands of bizarre inventions (artistic and utilitarian) that would not only draw blank stares from the average American, but would over and over again force the question - why? Maybe the answer is - because Japan flows. And the reason for the "why" is because in America we all too often - float.

I spent so much time shooting video, I was lucky to get any stills*. Here are a few. Also, these files are rather large (in the 50k-70k range) so they will take several extended moments to load. It was either large files, or French Impressionism! Thanks for waiting.

Osaka Castle
*photograph by H. Tomoshiro

Midori, John & Aria at Kofukugi Temple in Nagasaki
Oldest Chinese temple in Japan

John at cemetary near Buddhist Shrine in Nagasaki

John finds a Mosrite at Honda Gakki (music store)!!

I once had a metalflake blue one! These Japanese Mosrite guitars seem indentical to the American originals from the 1960's; a little more pricey, though. (about$1300.00 or 130,000 yen!!)

Artist